Warriors: The Fire Within Book 2: Dark Secrets
by xNYCx97
Summary: Dawnflower has faced betrayal, love, and pain. She has learned the hard way about many things but now follow her as she finds out shocking secrets about cats that she thought she could trust... Book 2 of The Fire Within series. Read, Enjoy and Review!
1. Prologue

_Hey guys! Thank you for all of the reviews on Book 1 but now this is Book 2! I'm not sure how long this will be but hopefully you enjoy it! So here's the prologue, please Read, Enjoy and Review! _

Prologue

The four cats trudged through the forest. Though it was midnight, the air was still warm. The trees were beginning to thin out and soon there would be no cover for the cats to take refuge in.

"Hurry it up, don't fall behind because I won't wait for you," growled the biggest cat who was leading the three smaller ones. They walked for a little longer in silence until the ginger tom broke the silence.

"Horsestorm, please can we take a break? We're exhausted and hungry and thirsty. We haven't stopped moving since this morning," he meowed desperately.

At first the larger cat didn't answer, but then he meowed suddenly, "Fine, we'll stop but only for a little. Go hunt and meet back here."

When all four cats had hunted and returned to the spot they had decided to make camp for the night, they ate silently. There was no friendship or kindness in their relationship. It was a partnership. They helped each other out but there was no telling when one would turn. There was hardly any trust.

"Horsestorm, are you going to tell us why we had to leave the forest?" The smallest cat, a gray and black tom, asked.

"We left because my plan was falling apart. We lost the battles and it would look suspicious for us to stay. Shadowclan and Thunderclan will be wondering why Windclan and Riverclan launched an attack, but there will be no answer because only I know. They will discuss it at the Gathering tonight," Horsestorm mewed. He looked around at the three cats he had chosen to follow him until their time was up. They were young and weak, but had potential to be great warriors. Of course, Horsestorm did not care about them. He just needed young, naive cats who would listen to his every command simply because he was more powerful.

"I still don't understand," the gray and black tom meowed, shaking his head.

"You see, my ultimate plan is to take over the forest and for me- us to rule it. We left the forest cats in a time of need and turmoil. Breezestar and the rest of Windclan is weak and left with nobody to help them through such a bad time, Riverclan doesn't know who to believe or what to do, and Shadowclan and Thunderclan think that Riverclan and Windclan are teaming up to take them down. It's perfect. We went away and we will return just as quickly as we left. They won't know what hit them and we will pick them off one by one- starting with Thunderclan." Horsestrom finished his explanation with a blood thirsty expression on his face.

"Why Thunderclan?" The fourth cat whispered, looking down at his paws.

"Why Thunderclan? Well, even you should know why Nightheart. They seem to be our biggest threat. Or, at least, _your_ biggest threat. Did you forget who almost killed you-not once- but twice? It was your own sister, a Thunderclan apprentice. She will be the one to sabotage our plan. Haven't I told you this before?" Horsestorm replied.

Nightheart could not bring himself to look at the big brown tom. It was true, Dawnpaw had almost killed him twice. The first time, Horsestorm saved him and the second time, his sister spared him. He was ashamed of himself and that night he fell asleep with an uneasy feeling in his stomach and second thoughts in his head. But he pushed them away. It was too late to turn back now.


	2. Chapter 1

_Chapter 1 is out! Hope you enjoyed the Prologue! Sorry, this chapter may be a little boring and short but I promise the next chapter will be better! Also, as a side not, if you have not yet read Book 1: Raising Shadows , you may want to read that first in order to understand what's going on! Please Read, Enjoy and Review! _

Chapter 1

The cold air whipped across Dawnflower's face. She sneezed as a single stalk of grass tickled her nose. She picked her head up and looked around. She was just taking a nap outside of the warriors den. It was warmer when she fell asleep but now it was cold. She stood up, yawned and stretched.

"Dawnflower! Dawnflower!" The warrior heard a familiar voice call her name. She looked up to Fogpaw on the other side of the clearing. "Dawnflower, wanna come on a patrol with Stripedpelt and I?"

Dawnflower nodded at the dark gray tom. He had only been an apprentice for half a moon but the young cat already acted like he knew everything.

"Sure Fogpaw," Dawnflower mewed, padding over to the camp entrance. "Is this a hunting patrol or border patrol, Stripedpelt?"

"Well this was just going to be a hunting patrol with Fogpaw and I but Oakclaw wanted me to take a patrol to Riverclan. Fogpaw, go get Snowfoot to come with us," Stripedpelt meowed. The apprentice ran off eagerly to get the other white warrior, who was also his father.

"It's been quiet around Riverclan territory, they don't freshen their scent markers that much anymore," Stripedpelt informed Dawnflower.

"Suspicious activity is never good," Dawnflower replied.

"_No_ activity is even worse," the tom meowed, shaking his head.

"Dawnflower, Stripedpelt. Are we ready to go?" Snowfoot came up behind the two cats followed by Fogpaw. Stripedpelt nodded and they headed out.

They headed towards Sunningrocks quietly. Every cats fur stood on end. Going into the forest was risky now that four powerful rogues were loose. Dawnflower didn't think there was anything to worry about since they had not smelled Horsestorm or any of his follower anywhere near Thunderclan territory.

"This is scary," Fogpaw whispered to Dawnflower as he came up next to her.

"Why? There isn't anything to be scared of. Horsestorm isn't here," Dawnflower replied.

"Yeah but what if he's just disguising his scent? What if he's watching us right now?" The apprentice ventured on.

"He's not," Dawnflower growled. "And even if he was, I would find him and rip him to shreds as soon as I smelled him."

Fogpaw was silent for the rest of the walk to Sunningrocks. When they got there, the four cats spread out and marked their scent.

"This is weird. Riverclan hasn't refreshed their markers since around... yesterday morning...," Snowfoot meowed, sniffing at the border. "Usually they refresh their scent marker quite often, especially near Sunningrocks."

"Should we go and see what's up?" Fogpaw suggested eagerly.

"No, we should wait a little longer. It might just be some little problems. I think we should wait a couple of more days, then check it out," Stripedpelt meowed.

"I agree. Let's go back and tell Smokestar," Snowfoot agreed.

"We should hunt first," Dawnflower suggested.

The other cats agreed and they hunted for a little then headed back to camp, jaws full of prey.

Dawnflower wasn't hungry because she ate before she took her nap so instead she went off to find Goldenblaze who was sharing tongues with his mother, Barkpelt. Barkpelt was also expecting her second litter of kits and Sunfire was the father. The kits would be Goldenblaze's kin.

"Hi Dawnflower! Did you just get back from a patrol?" Goldenblaze asked as she settled down next to him.

"Yes, but before I tell you about that, how are you feeling Barkpelt?" Dawnflower mewed.

"I am doing well Dawnflower, thanks. Now what happened at Riverclan? There's so much you miss out on when you're cooped up in camp," Barkpelt purred.

"Well nothing really _happened_... we went to refresh the scent markers and we realized that Riverclan hasn't been near Sunningrocks since around yesterday morning," Dawnflower informed.

"Yesterday morning? I wonder what's been keeping them away... did you smell anything that might be a threat to them?" Goldenblaze asked.

Dawnflower shook her head. "Nothing. Come to think of it, there wasn't much prey scent either..."

"Well, we'll have to keep a look out. There's way too much going on in the forest right now, what with Horsestorm and all... I wonder how the other clans are coping," Goldenblaze meowed.

"I picked the worst time to move into the nursery... too much stress and my kits will be born in leaf-bare. How will Thunderclan handle a bunch of new hungry mouths and the already existing threats?" Barkpelt meowed solemnly.

"Oh, don't say that! We've done it before, we can do it again. We need new life, no matter what time. The clan is running low on warriors and I'm sure we aren't the only ones," Goldenblaze assured his mother, giving her a comforting lick.

Dawnflower looked at the golden brown tom. He was a large tom, just like his father. He was a cat you wouldn't want to meet in battle but when it came to his clan and kin, he was very caring and gentle.

Dawnflower looked around her camp. Most of her clan mates were out or sleeping because it was getting dark. She would do anything to protect her clan, not because she took a vow and that she had to, because she loved her clan. They were the only thing she had. That's why when she thought about Horsestorm and his followers, she felt sick. How could they betray their clan like that? Dawnflower didn't understand it. Especially because of who his followers actually were.

Nightheart, her brother, was a follower. Dawnflower almost killed him twice. She hated him because he took part in the murder of Treeflower- Dawnflower's old mentor and best friend- and their sister, Eaglefeather, was almost killed because of him too.

Flamepelt was another one of Horsestorm's followers. He was a former Shadowclan cat and very fierce, but quiet. Dawnflower did not know him very well but had spoken to him at one Gathering. Flamepelt had a brother named Puddlepaw who was deeply affected by his betrayal.

The third follower was Webwhisker, former Riverclan apprentice. Webwhisker was the youngest and very naive. He never seemed like a threat to Dawnflower so she didn't worry about him.

Dawnflower tried not to think about these four cats. They gave her nightmares and made her angry. So that night she curled up next to Goldenblaze and tried not to think of anything but the only cats that mattered to her; her clan.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Hurry up, we have to get to the border before it starts raining and any scent markers are washed away."

Dawnflower followed her deputy towards Riverclan territory. It was cold out and she could tell that it was going to rain soon. Birdsong was next to her. They were on their way to see if Riverclan had refreshed their scent yet. They had waited three days- that was more than enough time.

When they got there, the three cats sniffed at the ground. The scent was faint, but it had been refreshed since last time, though it smelled a little differently.

"Looks like they were here. I guess we had nothing to worry about after all," Oakclaw meowed.

"I think we should still keep a close eye on Riverclan, just in case," Birdsong suggested.

"Ok, I'll tell Smokestar. Let's hunt and head back to camp."

Dawnflower brought up the rear as the cats headed back but before she got too far, she heard something.

"Dawnpaw! Psst, Dawnpaw!" The voice sounded familiar but Dawnflower couldn't put a name on it. She responded to her old name and turned around, a puzzled look on her face. Even though she had only been a warrior for a short time, she had gotten so used to everyone calling her Dawnflower that she almost forgot about her old name! She looked around until she saw a pair of glowing green eyes staring at her from a bush.

"Dawnpaw, come here," the cat hissed. The voice belonged to a she-cat's and as Dawnflower slowly approached the cat, she recognized a scent similar to Riverclan.

"Spottedfur? Is that you?" Dawnflower suddenly recognized the tortoiseshell she-cat as she stepped out of the bushes. It was Dawnflower's old friend from Riverclan. "What are you doing in Thunderclan territory? And why do you smell... different?"

"Dawnpaw-," Spottedfur began to say but Dawnflower corrected her and told her her new warrior name. "Oh, well congratulations Dawnflower! But listen, I need your help. I'm here alone, there's no one with me. I came on my own terms. After the last Gathering, Windclan came to my clan and said Riverclan should join forces with them to take down Thunderclan and Shadowclan because they were expecting you two to come together and attack them because of the whole Horsestorm incident. Rainstar refused and then Lightningstar launched an attack on us."

"Wait, Lightningstar? What happened to Breezestar?" Dawnflower asked.

"You didn't hear? He died right after the Gathering. I'm not sure how though. After Horsestorm left, Lightningstar was made deputy and now that he's leader, Bluecloud is deputy of Windclan. Anyway, Windclan attacked us and forced us to join them. Most of the clan lives closer to Windclan now but a few cats escaped them, including me. We need Thunderclan's help. Please Dawnflower!"

"I-I don't know what you would want us to do... we can't just stop what we're doing to help another clan. Besides, I'm not the leader of Thunderclan," Dawnflower meowed.

"But your father is! Please you have to do something. At least let us come stay with you," Spottedfur pleaded.

"We can't let the whole Riverclan into our camp just because you guys can't defend yourself!" Dawnflower snapped.

"No not the whole clan, just the ones who fought back- Blackstorm, Mistcloud, Minnowpaw and I. _Please, _Dawnflower!"

Dawnflower studied the she-cat. The look of desperation in her eyes was clear and Dawnflower couldn't help but feel sorry for her old friend. "Fine, I'll take you back to camp first and you can talk to Smokestar about it. Like I said, it's not up to me."

"Thank you so much Dawnflower, lead the way," Spottedfur meowed.

The two she-cats padded back to Thunderclan camp and when they go their, nobody noticed Spottedfur at first but as they got closer to the leader's den, there was a low growl behind Dawnflower.

"What is a Riverclan warrior doing here? Dawnflower, what's going on?" It was Pantherheart.

"Pantherheart, it's a long story but Spottedfur means no harm. She's alone and must speak to Smokestar privately. I'm sure he will tell you later," Dawnflower assured the senior warrior. Pantherheart shook his head and went to sit near the warriors den, never taking his eyes off of Spottedfur.

Dawnflower peered into her father's den and called out to him.

"Dawnflower? Come in, what's wrong? Who's that with you?" Smokestar was sitting in the middle of his den. Rosecloud was there too.

"Smokestar, this is Spottedfur. She's a Riverclan warrior but she must speak to you. Please hear her out, she's a friend of mine," Dawnflower meowed.

"Very well. Dawnflower, stay. Spottedfur, what is it?" Smokestar asked.

Spottedfur told Smokestar what happened. She told him everything that she had told Dawnflower. The whole time, the Thunderclan leader just sat and listened, not saying a word.

When Spottedfur was done, Smokestar hesitated and then said, "How do I know this isn't a trick? You can be a spy for all I know... spying for this new clan that Windclan and Riverclan have formed."

"I swear on Starclan, this isn't a trick. It's just Blackstorm, Mistcloud, Minnowpaw and I. We're on the run I guess. We have to fend for ourselves. That's why we haven't been refreshing the scent markers as much. Most of Riverclan has moved closer to Windclan territory. We were trying to make you guys believe that Riverclan was still strong. Blackstorm didn't want to ask for help but we need it. Please, Smokestar, just for a little. We will help out around camp and hunt for ourselves." When Spottedfur stopped talking, she bowed her head and knew that there was nothing else she could say or do. It was up to Smokestar now.

The leader looked at Rosecloud, who had been silent the whole time. She nodded.

"Very well, you and your clan mates can stay," Smokestar finally replied. "But only until we can figure things out. If Windclan and Riverclan are teaming up then we will need all the warriors we can get if they decide to launch an attack. Dawnflower, she's your friend, so you can go with her to fetch the others. Take a few cats with you, just in case. Oh and before you go, tell all my senior warriors to come to my den."

"Thank you Smokestar. I appreciate it. Riverclan won't forget this," Spottedfur meowed.

The two cats slipped out of the den. Birdsong and Oakclaw were just returning to camp, jaws full of prey. Dawnflower padded over to them.

"Dawnflower, there you are? Where did you wonder off to? And why is she here?" Birdsong asked, dropping her prey on the fresh-kill pile.

"It's a long story. Just go to Smokestar's den and he'll explain. He wants all of his senior warriors." Dawnflower padded off to find Pantherheart and Sunfire to tell them. When she had done that she went to find someone to go with her to Riverclan territory. Goldenblaze was no where to be found, but she spotted her sister Eaglefeather a little way off.

"Hey Eaglefeather. Want to come with me to Riverclan territory?" Dawnflower asked.

"Riverclan territory... why are we going there? And who is she?" Eaglefeather asked the same question again.

"I'll explain it on the way. Take Spottedfur to the sandy hollow and wait for me there. I'm going to get Stripedpelt and Fogpaw."

Stripedpelt had the same questions and Fogpaw didn't know whether he should be worried or not that a cat from another clan was in his territory. But they went nonetheless.

When all five cats were together, they headed towards Riverclan and Dawnflower explained everything.

"Windclan... they have been causing too much trouble. We should just attack them first...," Eaglefeather growled.

"It's too late now. We can't take on Riverclan and Windclan by ourselves. We barely did it the last time," Stripedpelt pointed out.

"True... that's why I think Smokestar wants to team up with Shadowclan," Dawnflower meowed.

"Yuck, Shadowclan! Why would he do that?" Fogpaw meowed, disgusted at the thought.

"Well, it's our only option isn't it? We can't take on Riverclan and Windclan alone and they already think that we are teaming up with Shadowclan. They are facing the same threats as us. Plus, we all lost cats because of Horsestorm," Dawnflower explained.

"Good point Dawnflower. I guess we will have to wait and see what happens," Stripedpelt meowed.

"Shh, we are getting close to Riverclan territory now. There might be Windclan cats around her so we have to be careful," Eaglefeather whispered. "Spottedfur, once we get into your territory, you can lead us to your clan mates. Try to stay quiet and be aware of your surroundings. Got it Fogpaw?"

The apprentice nodded. They headed into the other clan's territory, Spottedfur taking the lead. They used some stepping stones to get across the river, it wasn't very hard but Fogpaw was nervous about it. After a little bit coaxing, he got across.

"Ok, we're staying at the edge of our territory, near the Thunderpath and the Twoleg place. Windclan warriors and the other Riverclan warriors patrol around the camp everyday. They're looking for us but where we stay, a lot of cats never knew existed," Spottedfur explained. "Follow me."

They followed the river away from Fourtrees and toward the direction of the camp. Dawnflower could smell some fresh Windclan and Riverclan scents, but did not hear anything. They followed it for a long time and soon, the cats came to a more boggy area. The ground was softer and more wet, Dawnflower's paws kept sinking in.

"Where are we? What's with all this mud- my paws keep sinking!" Fogpaw complained.

"Don't worry, as long as you keep going, you won't sink. Us Riverclan cats never came here. We never needed to. There's not much prey in the bog but once you get passed it, there's more. We're almost there," Spottedfur assured them.

So they kept on going. The Windclan and Riverclan scent wasn't as strong anymore.

"Hey, is that the Twoleg place over there?" Fogpaw piped up. Dawnflower followed the gray toms gaze across the river and realized that the apprentice was right. On the other side of the river, in Thunderclan territory, there was the familiar wooden fence of the Treecut place. Dawnflower realized they must be really far into Riverclan territory because Thunderclan cats never went as far as along the Treecut place and the river.

"Yep, that's it. We're really far in," Stripedpelt replied. "How much longer Spottedfur?"

"Not much, almost there."

Soon, they crossed the bog and went away from the river. Dawnflower smelled something familiar and she realized it was the scent of a Thunderpath. She could also smell Twolegs. Dawnflower saw a large Twoleg nest and a wide Thunderpath. There weren't a lot of trees around her so she was wondering where Spottedfur stayed. They were getting closer and closer to the Twoleg nest.

"Over here, we're staying underneath the Twoleg nest. Its a good place to stay. There's enough mice and it keeps us warm, plus the Twolegs don't even know we're here," Spottedfur announced. They were a few tail-lengths away from the nest and the Thunderclan cats were uneasy about it. Going so close to Twolegs wasn't something the cats really wanted to do.

"Come on, it's okay. The Twolegs never come around to this side of the nest that much anyway!" Spottedfur assured the nervous cats.

"I don't feel comfortable with this... how about you go get them and we'll stay here," Stripedpelt suggested. He had had a bad experience with Twolegs as an apprentice. Dawnflower didn't know the whole story but she did know that he was almost forced against his will to become a kittypet.

"Fine stay here. I'll be right back." The tortoiseshell she-cat slipped through a gap under the nest and disappeared. They were waiting for a few moments when she reappeared followed by three other cats.

"Ok, Blackstorm, Mistcloud and Minnowpaw, these are the Thunderclan cats here to help us; Dawnflower, Stripedpelt, Eaglefeather and Fogpaw," Spottedfur introduced the cats to each other. Blackstorm was a black tom, Mistcloud was a light gray she-cat and Minnowpaw was a silver she-cat. The Riverclan cats looked well fed, not too scrawny but their fur was unkempt and dirty.

"Nice to meet you. Ok, lets get going," Dawnflower meowed. They headed back across the bog.

"Hey, did you feel that? It's starting to rain!" Fogpaw exclaimed.

"Shh! Ugh, he's right. Let's move faster, we have to get out of this bog before it starts raining too hard," Eaglefeather meowed.

The cats picked up the pace a little. When they were half way across the bog, Dawnflower smelled something through the rain... _Windclan!_ She looked around frantically trying to find the enemy clan's cats but couldn't see. All of a sudden there was a loud yowl. Dawnflower whipped around to her left. On the other side of the bog, closer to Riverclan territory, she could make out seven cats lined up ready to attack.

"They're going to attack! They look like they were waiting for us, that's why they have so many cats with them! Hurry up, run towards the river, but be careful! Go!" Dawnflower yowled.

The eight cats ran as fast as they could through the bog. It was harder to run because it was raining and their steps were heavier so they sunk in more. To their left, the enemy cats were getting closer and closer. Dawnflower was in the lead but the river was still foxlengths away. She looked over her shoulder, and was relieved when she saw all of her allies close behind. She kept going, but the rain was affecting her vision and it was getting harder and harder to run in the bog.

"Dawnflower!" She heard Fogpaw yowl desperately behind her and whipped around to see him a little way off, staring at her with a worried look on his face.

"What are you doing, run!" Dawnflower hissed. Stripedpelt, Eaglefeather, Spottedfur, and the other Riverclan cats were right behind her and stopped to see what was going on.

"Minnowpaw is stuck in the bog! You have to help her!" Fogpaw meowed.

Dawnflower looked past the Thunderclan apprentice who kept moving his legs so he wouldn't sink. She saw the body of the Riverclan apprentice, half of her body was in the bog while her front paws were frantically trying to pull herself up. Dawnflower saw the enemy cats getting closer but they were having the same problems and were being slowed down. She growled and turned to her companions.

"Go back! I'll get Minnowpaw- hurry!" She ordered them.

"Please help my kit!" Mistcloud begged. Dawnflower finally realized why the two she-cats looked so alike. She nodded at the mother and ran towards Minnowpaw. Fogpaw tried to follow but Dawnflower told him to go back.

"No, I want to help her, you can't do it alone!" He persisted. She knew this wasn't the time to argue so she let him come.

When they reached the small silver apprentice, Dawnflower grabbed her by the scruff and tried to pull her. It was hard work trying to pull an apprentice out of the bog while it rained while trying to make sure she didn't sink as well. Fogpaw circled around them meowing words of encouragement. Dawnflower could see the enemy cats getting closer and closer.

"Come on Minnowpaw," she growled through her teeth. Finally she heard the sound of one of Minnowpaw's legs breaking free of the bog. Dawnflower pulled even harder while Fogpaw tried to push the apprentice out. Finally, after what felt like moons, the apprentice broke free.

"Finally! Come on, hurry they're close!" Fogpaw meowed.

The three cats ran as fast as they could back towards the river. Dawnflower could see her companions on the other side, almost to solid ground. They were getting closer and closer. _Almost there,_ she thought. But once again, she was stopped in her tracks by a yowl behind her. She turned around to see a small tortoiseshell tom tackling Fogpaw to the ground. The other Windclan cats were getting closer. It was three against seven right now because Dawnflower's allies were already at the river. A fight was about to break out at the worst possible time and place- on the bog.


	4. Chapter 3

_Hope you are enjoying book two so far! Thank you for all of the reviews! This chapter is a little longer and has a lot of different things happening! Please Read, Enjoy and Review!_

Chapter 3

Dawnflower swiped her paw at Fogpaw's attacker, claws unsheathed. The small cat was about the same size as her, after all, she had always been small. The tortoiseshell tom jumped away from Fogpaw who was starting to sink but quickly pulled himself up.

"Head towards the river, the closer we get, the easier it will be to fight!" Dawnflower ordered.

Minnowpaw and Fogpaw started running back towards the river. Dawnflower tried to follow but stopped as a weight landed on her back. She hissed and rolled over quickly, trying to dislodge her opponent. It worked and the Windclan warrior let go, but she got stuck in the bog and couldn't get up because she was on her back. Dawnflower bent down to try and help the she-cat because she did not want to kill any cat today. The cat did not let Dawnflower help and clawed at her face instead.

"I was trying to help you!" Dawnflower hissed. Another cat barreled into her side, the same side that was bruised when Horsestorm had hit into her. The wind was knocked out of her and for a minute she could not breath as she lay on the ground, slowly sinking into the bog.

Suddenly she snapped out of it and started squirming around, trying to release herself from the suction despite the pain in her side. She should've been dead right now, with seven cats closing in on her and being stuck, but she wasn't. Her clan mates

had come back to help her, along with the Riverclan cats. Dawnflower felt teeth dig into her scruff and pull her out. She stood up to face her sister Eaglefeather.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

"I'm fine, come on, we have to help them," Dawnflower replied. She turned to face the battle and tried to ignore the pain in her side. The she realized that it wasn't just Windclan cats there, but Riverclan too. Spottedfur and the other refugees were really going against the warrior code now.

Fogpaw was still up against the small tortoiseshell tom but he looked like he could handle it. Minnowpaw was fighting another Windclan warrior and apprentice alongside her mother Mistcloud. Stripedpelt had the Riverclan deputy Troutfur pinned down and Blackstorm was up against a Windclan she-cat. Dawnflower saw a black tom racing towards her. He jumped at her but Dawnflower moved at the last minute. The tom landed hard on the ground and sunk into the bog a little. Before he could pull himself out, Dawnflower pounced on him and locked her jaw onto his shoulder. He hissed and spit, trying to get out of the bog and get her off at the same time.

That's when Dawnflower started to feel bad for the cat, and every other cat fighting the battle now. This was an unfair fight. Cats could be killed, not by their enemies, but by the bog itself. She had to end it.

She leapt off of the black tom and looked him in the eye. "I'm going to help you out, but we must end this fight. It is too dangerous to fight here. You must call your allies off. Please," she told the cat.

At first he looked at her like he wanted to shred her to pieces but then common sense seemed to hit him and he nodded. "You're right," he meowed. "This is no time for a fight. I'll try to get them away but if we ever see you again, we'll shred you to pieces."

Dawnflower helped him out then yowled to her allies, "Retreat! This is no time for a fight! We must go!"

Her friends looked at her with a puzzled look but obeyed. They broke free from whatever they were doing and turned towards the river and ran. The enemies did the same. Dawnflower met eyes with the black tom and nodded then ran off.

Mud was plastered to her but the rain helped to wash it off. It was still a hard journey back to camp. The eight cats stopped for a moment to wash their fur in the river once they were in Thunderclan territory, then went straight back to camp. Nobody had any serious injuries.

"Dawnflower! What took you so long?" Oakclaw asked once they were all in camp.

"We ran into some trouble in Riverclan territory. Nothing we couldn't handle. Did Smokestar tell the clan what's going on?" Dawnflower meowed.

"He told me and the rest of the senior warriors and we told the rest of the clan. They all know but they aren't all very happy about it. Whoever is injured should go to Rosecloud then get something to eat. When you're done with that, Stripedpelt, you can tell me what happened and... who's in charge out of the Riverclan cats?" Oakclaw meowed.

"Blackstorm is the senior warrior here, so I guess him," Mistcloud replied.

"Very well. Blackstorm, you can come find me when you're done," the Thunderclan deputy ordered.

Dawnflower had no injuries so she went to pick a mouse from the fresh-kill pile. When she turned around, she saw Goldenblaze heading towards her.

"Hey Dawnflower! I was just going to get some fresh-kill then head to the nursery. Care to join me?" He asked. Dawnflower nodded then they went to the nursery together.

Barkpelt sat in the middle of the den next to Sunfire, her mate. They were eating a large rabbit and barely noticed Goldenblaze and Dawnflower come in.

"Hello, hope we aren't interrupting," Goldenblaze meowed, dropping his bird on the ground. Dawnflower sat next to him and took a bite of the mouse.

"Oh, no! We were just eating. Dawnflower, you're here too? Great you can tell us about what happened at Riverclan!" Barkpelt meowed.

Dawnflower nodded and told the three cats about how they traveled far into Riverclan territory and across the bog, then about how Spottedfur was staying under a Twoleg nest. When she got to the part about the battle, Goldenblaze's fur bristled but he calmed down when she told them that no one was hurt and they called off the battle.

When Dawnflower finished, Sunfire shook his head. "I don't understand Windclan sometimes... they have been acting so strange lately ever since Horsestorm became deputy. You know Dawnflower, he became deputy right before you were born, the old deputy before him retired. That was Birchleaf, he's still an elder in Windclan."

"Well Horsestorm is horrible, controlling other cats like that... I'll kill him next time I see him...," Dawnflower growled.

"That's why Smokestar's so upset with this whole thing. It's his kin, he never thought he would do that...," Sunfire murmured. Barkpelt nodded in agreement.

At first Dawnflower was confused but then she realized they were talking about Nightheart. "Oh yeah, Nightheart too. I'll rip him to shreds."

"Right, Nightheart. But poor Smokestar...," Barkpelt meowed solemnly.

_Poor Smokestar? Eaglefeather, Birdsong and I were affected by Nightheart's betrayal too! _Dawnflower thought.

"We all knew he was no good though...even Smokestar did, ever since he left the clan. He just didn't think he would be this bad, turning kin against kin...," Sunfire meowed.

Dawnflower was even more confused now. Of course they knew Nightheart was bad ever since he left! That's when the whole clan found out about his secret! And he wasn't _that _bad... and what did Sunfire mean, "turning kin against kin"? She turned to see if Goldenblaze was confused too but he was busy grooming his fur. Barkpelt and Sunfire were now sharing tongues too.

"You ok Dawnflower?" Goldenblaze asked.

"Yeah fine, just a little tired though. I think I'm going to go get some rest," Dawnflower replied. She wasn't going to ask about Barkpelt and Sunfire's statements. She got up and turned to leave. "I'll come visit again soon Barkpelt. Take care."

It took her a while to fall asleep, she had so many thoughts running through her head. Maybe Sunfire was just stating the obvious but Dawnflower still couldn't understand what he meant when he said Nightheart turned "kin against kin".

A half moon passed and clan life was normal. The Riverclan refugees were keeping their promise and hunted for their own food and helped out around camp. Most Thunderclan cats were starting to warm up to the idea of the Riverclan cats staying with them but there were a few that still hated the idea. Patrols were sent to Riverclan border regularly, though Riverclan scent markers were hardly ever refreshed anymore, they still kept their eyes open for any Windclan patrols. Everything was quiet with the other clans and Horsestorm and his followers were no where to be seen.

It was a chilly leaf-fall morning when Smokestar had called Dawnflower into his den. She was just waking up and walked outside, ready to go on a hunting patrol when he said he had to speak to her. When she entered his den, Pantherheart and Snowfoot were already sitting there.

"I want you three to go to Shadowclan and see what's going on over there," Smokestar meowed.

"Like spying?" Dawnflower asked.

Smokestar shook his head. "No. Go to their camp and ask to speak with either Russetstar or Darkfoot. Tell them what happened with Riverclan and Windclan and find out if they have had any encounters with them. Then ask them if they would like to join forces with us to take down the other two clans."

"Are you sure you want to do this Smokestar? Even though you and Russetstar are good friends, most of Thunderclan does not really like Shadowclan. This can lead to a disaster," Snowfoot pointed out. This was true, Smokestar and Russetstar were good friends. They once fought side by side against Riverclan back when they were both just made apprentices. They became good friends and even though they had to fight each other in battle several times, their bond was still strong.

"I'm sure. Russetstar will make her clan see that this is the right thing to do," Smokestar replied. "You must do everything you can to get them to join us. Don't leave until you get a good answer. We don't have to share the same camp or anything, we just have to know that if Windclan and Riverclan ever attack, we can call on each other for help."

"Very well, Smokestar. We shall leave immediately," Pantherheart meowed.

"Good. And be careful, Shadowclan is probably on edge as well," Smokestar added.

The three cats left the den then padded out of camp. They walked for a long time in silence, but then it was broken by Pantherheart.

"So Dawnflower, what do you think about this?" He asked.

"I think it"s a good idea, I mean Windclan and Riverclan can attack at any moment right? We can't take them on alone," she replied.

"Hm, good point. And I agree, it's a dark time here in the forest. We must always be on our guard and think smartly, or we won't survive," Pantherheart replied.

"Dawnflower, how are you taking everything else? You do get a lot of attention from your father and ever since you were a kit you've been getting into things," Snowfoot meowed.

"You think Smokestar favors me? He treats me no different then any of you!" Dawnflower snapped.

"Relax, I'm not saying that. Though it seems that Smokestar thinks you're more capable of doing things than your sister," Snowfoot pointed out.

Dawnflower thought about this for a minute. It _was _true. Her life was a bit more exciting then Eaglefeather's, but there was a reason. "Maybe, but I'm the one who discovered Nightheart's secret and revealed it to the clan. I did also save Eaglefeather's life once."

"That's true. And don't take my statement the wrong way Dawnflower, you are a very good warrior. You're smart, strong and compassionate. Your father is probably trying to see if you're leader material," Snowfoot meowed.

"Leader material?" Dawnflower asked, puzzled.

"Yes. Being leader runs in your blood it seems," Pantherheart put in. "Your father is a leader, his mother was, her mother was before that. You come from a long line of leaders. Even though there have been other leaders that you weren't related too, your kin is always there in Thunderclan history."

Dawnflower knew this of course, but she never thought about herself being leader. It was never something she worried about.

"Well whatever I become, I'll serve my clan loyally," Dawnflower meowed, holding her head up proudly. When she did this, a fowl scent washed over her. She wrinkled her nose in disgust but then realized that they were right near the Thunderpath at the Shadowclan border.

"Okay, be careful crossing now. I'll go first, then Dawnflower, then you can go Snowfoot," Pantherheart ordered.

He waited until two monsters passed, then it was clear and he quickly ran across and disappeared into the bushes on the other side. Dawnflower padded up to the edge of the Thunderpath. Her hair stuck up as one monster passed and then she ran across, the hard, black ground hurt her paws and she was relieved when she finally got to the other side and felt the soft grass back under her paws. She almost crashed into Pantherheart that was watching from the bushes.

"Watch it," Pantherheart hissed.

"Sorry," Dawnflower mumbled. A moment later, they were joined by Snowfoot.

"Ok let's go. Look for a patrol and try not to make yourself look like a threat," Pantherheart meowed.

They were not traveling for that long when Pantherheart, who was in the lead, was barreled over by something that had come out of the bushes. Dawnflower and Snowfoot froze and watched Pantherheart roll around on the ground with what looked like another cat. When they stopped rolling around, a black tom had Pantherheart pinned to the ground. Dawnflower saw a long, pink scar running from the cats shoulder to the middle of his back. She automatically knew that this was Badgerscar, a senior warrior in Shadowclan.

"Pantherheart! What are you doing here?" Badgerscar growled.

"Relax Badgerscar! We come in peace," Pantherheart meowed calmly.

"How can I be sure you aren't going to attack me as soon as I let you up? I _am _all alone," the Shadowclan warrior meowed.

"My clan mates would've attacked you by now Badgerscar!" Pantherheart exclaimed.

Badgerscar looked over at Dawnflower and Snowfoot who were standing there calmly the whole time. He grunted then let Pantherheart up.

"What does Thunderclan want with Shadowclan?" Badgerscar growled.

"We have a proposition for Russetstar from Smokestar. Can you take us to her please?" Snowfoot put in. Badgerscar nodded, turned and beckoned for the three cats to follow him with a flick of his tail.

"So what do you have to speak to Russetstar about?" Badgerscar asked.

"Thunderclan wants to form an alliance with Shadowclan," Pantherheart replied.

Badgerscar's tail twitched. "Why?"

"Riverclan and Windclan have teamed up. They have been causing a lot of trouble lately and can attack at any moment. Smokestar thought it would be a good idea to team up with your clan," Snowfoot explained.

"Hm, maybe," Badgerscar murmured. They were silent the rest of the way to the camp.

When they arrived at camp, the clearing was not that busy. The few cats that were up gave the Thunderclan cats puzzled then dirty looks. Dawnflower was never in Shadowclan camp before. The ground was muddy and the camp was surrounded by brambles. Badgerscar led the three cats to a large oak tree. There was a space between the roots that led to what seemed to be a cave.

"Russetstar's den is down there. Go in and tell her I brought you, I'm going to find Darkfoot," Badgerscar meowed.

Dawnflower followed Pantherheart and Snowfoot through the roots and into the den.

"Who's there? I smell Thunderclan!" A voice came from the den. The voice belonged to Russetstar, the dark ginger she-cat had a fierce look in her eyes. Dawnflower had a lot of respect for the leader, most cats did.

"It's me, Pantherheart of Thunderclan with Snowfoot and Dawnflower. We come in peace. Badgerscar brought us here, he went to get Darkfoot," Pantherheart meowed.

Russetstar growled. "This better be important. We will wait for Darkfoot then you can tell me what this is all about."

Dawnflower sat next to Snowfoot and almost directly across from Russetstar. She held her head high and the fierce look stayed in her eyes. She did not make eye contact with any of the cats. A few moments later, Darkfoot slipped into the den. He was a dark gray tabby tom with black paws.

"Good you're here. Okay Thunderclan, explain yourselves," Russetstar meowed.

Pantherheart nodded then began, "We come with a message from Smokestar. He wanted to let you know that Riverclan and Windclan have joined forces and are on the same team. Riverclan is not staying in their camp at the moment and have moved closer to Windclan territory, but they do patrol around there camp because there are four Riverclan cats that escaped them. The four cats are currently staying at Thunderclan. A half moon ago, a fight broke out in Riverclan territory. Dawnflower here was leading a patrol to go get the Riverclan refugees and ran into some trouble on the way. Smokestar wanted to know if you have been having any trouble with Windclan and Riverclan."

Russetstar and Darkfoot sat there taking in the information. They exchanged a look and then Russetstar responded. "We have been having problems, as a matter of fact. Windclan have been scented on our territory as well as a little bit of Riverclan. We caught them once and a fight broke out. It was brutal. No cat died but many were injured. We have also been smelling other strange scents on our territory but can't identify them. We think they could be rogues."

Dawnflower thought about what the leader had just said. Rogues? Could it be Horsestorm and his followers? But surely they would recognize the scents of cats that were once so familiar, especially since one used to be a Shadowclan cat. She looked at Pantherheart. He was thinking hard about what he would say next. He did not want Russetstar or Darkfoot to think that Thunderclan thought Shadowclan was weak.

"Now, the main reason we came is because Smokestar had a proposition," the black tom meowed slowly. "He thinks that Thunderclan and Shadowclan should join forces. Riverclan and Windclan already think we have an alliance and together we could put an end to this. He said that we don't have to share camp or anything but just in case they attack, we should be able to call on each other for help."

Russetstar stared at the three warriors for a long time. When she finally spoke, it was not exactly what they wanted to hear. "I will consider it, only because it is Thunderclan, and Smokestar is such a good friend of mine. I will send a patrol to your camp with my answer before the next Gathering in a quarter moon."

_But Smokestar doesn't want us to leave without an answer,_ Dawnflower thought. The Thunderclan warriors fidgeted awkwardly in their spot.

"Erm, Smokestar actually told us not to leave until we got an answer... we can wait if we but...," Snowfoot meowed.

"Of course he did. Very well, stick around for a little if you must but don't step one paw out of line. I must discuss this with my senior warriors," Russetstar meowed irritably. "Darkfoot, go fetch Badgerscar, Frogleap and Frostpelt and tell them to come to me as soon as possible. And tell any warrior that is available to keep an eye on the Thunderclan cats."

Pantherheart, Snowfoot and Dawnflower took this as their signal to leave the den so they turned and headed out but before they could leave, Dawnflower was called back by Russetstar.

"Wait, Dawnflower, stay. I would like to speak with you," she said. Dawnflower was surprised to hear this and turned to look at her clan mates. They nodded their heads and then she went back to sit with the Shadowclan leader.

"Um, y-yes Russetstar, what is it?" Dawnflower stammered.

"I just wanted to take a good luck at you, you are one of my closest friends daughter after all," she replied.

"Oh... Russetstar aren't relationships between cats from other clans forbidden? It's the warrior code... not to be rude but-," Dawnflower asked.

"Yes, I suppose they are. But Smokestar and I know how to have friendships in other clans and be able to stay loyal to our own clan at the same time. Perhaps that's what makes us two of the greatest leaders in our clan's history, or so the cats say," Russetstar answered. "Your father and I have met in battle enough times and I'm pretty sure we each took at least one of each other's lives during those battles. We try not to think about it because in the end we are both going to the same place- Starclan."

Dawnflower never thought of it that way. She could definitely see why Russetstar was so respected. She was wise, kind, and though Dawnflower never saw the leader in battle, she has heard great stories.

"Did you know, Dawnflower, that a few days after you were first born, I personally came to Thunderclan to visit you and your siblings?" Russetstar meowed.

Dawnflower shook her head in surprise. This was news to her. "Why?"

"Well, I wanted to have the first look at the future Thunderclan leader! Back then, I did not know which one of you that would be, but now it is clear to me who it will be," she meowed.

"Who?" Dawnflower whispered, even though she knew the answer.

"You. And I never thought you would be the one. You were the smallest one- still are! But you have proven yourself worthy. The fact that your father sent you on this mission proved it all. Every Gathering, your father would tell me about all the things you have accomplished in that moon, without giving out any clan secrets of course, and let me say, I'm impressed. You are a smart, loving and strong warrior. You shall make a great leader some day." The leader smiled at Dawnflower and purred.

"What about Eaglefeather?" Dawnflower asked, feeling bad for her sister who did not get nearly as much attention as she did.

"Eaglefeather, I'm sure, is a fine warrior too. I thought she would be the one the first time I saw you three," Russetstar meowed. Dawnflower gave the ginger she-cat a worried look. "Don't feel pressured by this. You still have a long time to go before you can become leader. Your father is still here and so is Oakclaw, enjoy what you have now because once you become leader, you have so many more responsibilities and things to worry about. Now go, I must attend to the matter at hand and speak to my warriors."

And with that, Dawnflower left the den, passing the four cats who were Shadowclan's senior warriors on the way. Once she was outside, she took a deep breath. Why was everyone so sure that she was going to be leader? Was it really that official? After all, Oakclaw would get to choose his own deputy when he's leader and Smokestar still had four lives left. Walking towards her clan mates who were waiting by the entrance of the camp, she decided she would speak to One-eye and her father about this when she got back. They would know best and right now Dawnflower didn't know what to think.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Dawnflower sat grooming herself as she waited for her clan to gather around High Rock. She had just returned from Shadowclan with Pantherheart and Snowfoot and they had received the answer they wanted- Shadowclan will form an alliance with Thunderclan and fight with them against Riverclan and Windclan.

Smokestar had just called a meeting to address the past events. Though most of Thunderclan knew about what was going on, it comforted them to hear it from their leader. As Smokestar explained to the clan that Shadowclan was now an ally, Dawnflower saw the surprised looks of her clan mates.

"Shadowclan? We don't need Shadowclan!" Stripedpelt protested. A few murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd though many cats stayed silent.

"Don't be mouse-brained! We're strong but not strong enough to take on Windclan and Riverclan!" Oakclaw retorted.

"Thank you Oakclaw. And that's why I did this," Smokestar meowed. "We must think about our clans safety, swallow our pride and join forces with Shadowclan. This is final. If you really feel so strongly about not teaming up with Shadowclan then you can leave."

No cat said anything. Stripedpelt sighed and bowed his head.

"Very well, this meeting is over. Carry on." Smokestar leapt down from his spot on High Rock and padded over to sit next to Birdsong. Dawnflower really wanted to ask her father about why everybody was so set on her becoming the next leader so she thought this was the perfect time to do so.

She padded over to her parents and meowed, "Smokestar, Birdsong, can I speak to you?"

"Sure Dawnflower, what is it?" Birdsong asked.

"When we went to Shadowclan, Russetstar spoke to me privately. She said she came to visit me when I was first born because she wanted to see who the future leader of Thunderclan will be," Dawnflower meowed. "She said that now she thinks I will be the leader... and other cats do too. Pantherheart and Snowfoot said so. Why is everyone so set on me becoming leader. What about Eaglefeather?"

Smokestar and Birdsong exchanged a worried glance. Then Smokestar spoke up.

"Dawnflower, nothing is official, you shouldn't be worrying about this now," he meowed. When he realized that his daughter still had a worried look on his face, he went on. "But if you really want to know, ever since the clans were first formed, our ancestors have become leader of Thunderclan. It is even said that great Thunderstar himself is our kin, but we are not completely sure. Your grandmother Dawnstar was leader. You may be the second Dawnstar- who knows. Right now you are still a young warrior, I am still alive and when the time comes, whoever is leader after me will choose. It is not the warrior code that you or Eaglefeather must become leader, it just happens because our kin are known to be great and trustworthy warriors. Please, Dawnflower do not let this distract you. Go on now, Eaglefeather is looking for you."

Dawnflower turned to see her sister padding towards them. She turned to her father and nodded. She still wanted to speak to One-ear because he may know more, but for now she just forgot about it and went to meet her sister.

"Hey Dawnflower, want to go hunting? Spottedfur is out near the Great Sycamore waiting for me but you can tag along!" The brown tabby she-cat meowed.

"Yeah,sure! Let's go!" The two sisters padded out of camp. On the way, Dawnflower saw Oakclaw and Robinwing purring and sharing tongues.

"Hey, what's going on with Oakclaw and Robinwing?" Dawnflower asked Eaglefeather.

"Apparently they're mates... I don't know, Robinwing speaks very highly of him. She says he's very affectionate, which is unexpected. I would've never guessed our deputy was like that...," Eaglefeather replied. She was very good friends with Robinwing.

"Oh- wow I had no idea! Robinwing isn't expecting kits is she?" Dawnflower questioned.

"No, no, no. They don't want kits right now. Robinwing has to focus on her apprentice, Dovepaw, and Oakclaw has too much going on right now as deputy. But you know who _is_ expecting kits?" Eaglefeather meowed. Dawnflower shook her head. "Well, rumor has it that Pebblenose is expecting... she's supposedly a few days in with Pantherheart's kits but she loves being a warrior so much that she wants to wait as long as possible before going into the nursery."

"Really? I didn't know Pantherheart likes kits... does anybody else know?" Dawnflower meowed.

"Rosecloud... and Pantherheart and I. And now you! So don't say tell anyone else!" Eaglefeather purred.

"I won't, don't worry!" Dawnflower and her sister approached the Great Sycamore and a familiar scent came to their noses. The tortoiseshell she-cat, Spottedfur, came into view. Her Riverclan scent was now mixed with Thunderclan and even though she would eventually have to go back to her birth clan, she had helped Thunderclan a lot in the half moon she was here.

"It's about time, I'm starving! Blackstorm, Mistcloud and Minnowpaw already went hunting before," Spottedfur meowed.

The three she-cats started their hunt. Dawnflower immediately smelled squirrel a little way off and hunted it down. The small brown creature was nibbling on a nut and had no idea a cat was about to finish it off. When Dawnflower pounced, it barely had time to run.

They hunted for a little longer and were doing well. They had to get as much prey as possible because leaf-bare was on its way.

"Eaglefeather, Dawnflower, how long do you think Smokestar will allow my clan mates and I to stay here for?" Spottedfur asked suddenly.

Dawnflower wasn't sure how to respond to this so Eaglefeather did instead. "He'll let you stay until Windclan and Riverclan attack. He knows that for you guys, it's going against the warrior code to fight against your own clan but you came to us for help so he expects you to repay us with your fighting skills. As long as you guys help out around camp and hunt for yourselves, there shouldn't be a problem. Besides, the rest of the clan is getting used to you staying here." Dawnflower nodded in agreement.

"Its just, sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing... Blackstorm and Mistcloud wonder too but in the end we know it's for the best. I hate going against my clan but I didn't want to stand there and watch Windclan take over!" Spottedfur meowed.

"We know Spottedfur. Don't worry, in the end Riverclan will thank you. You four were the only ones strong enough and brave enough to stand up for yourselves and your clan when Rainstar and Troutfur couldn't!" Dawnflower assured the she-cat.

Spottedfur didn't look that convinced but she didn't say anything so they carried on hunting.

A quarter moon later, at the full moon, the Thunderclan patrol met Shadowclan at the border. They would arrive at the Gathering together to show their newly formed alliance. Dawnflower padded along with Goldenblaze at her side. When they entered the clearing, Windclan and Riverclan were already there. Lightningstar sat with his head up while Rainstar did the same next to him, but both the Windclan and Riverclan cats looked tired and weak.

Russetstar and Smokestar padded up to the two other leaders side by side. They stared at each other for a long time, an awkward silence filled the clearing. A familiar cat came to sit next to Dawnflower and she recognized her friend Puddlepaw whose brother Flamepelt went to join Horsestorm. The Shadowclan cat had a new air about him. He seemed less nervous and more confident.

"I can't wait to see what happens now," the gray tom whispered.

"I agree, Puddlepaw. Who knows what will happen," Goldenblaze meowed. He was also friends with the Shadowclan cat.

"It's Puddlecloud now," he corrected. Dawnflower now understood the cats new attitude; he was finally a warrior.

"Congratulations, Lightningstar, on becoming leader of Windclan. I can see you wasted no time using your new powers that your title gives you," Russetstar retorted.

The Windclan leader glared at the she-cat. He stood up from his sitting position and Dawnflower noticed how big the tom was. Not big like Horsestorm, the old deputy was more muscular. Lightningstar had muscle too, but the golden brown tom also had very long legs.

"I did what I felt was right. I finished what Breezestar started. He wanted this and so did Horsestorm," Lightningstar meowed.

"And what about Riverclan? Is this what you felt was right Rainstar?" Smokestar growled at the blue gray tom.

The Riverclan leader did not look Smokestar in the eyes but meowed, "I did what was best for my clan."

"Well not all of your clan mates seem to agree, see three of your warriors and an apprentice came to Thunderclan a half moon ago asking for help. Naturally we helped them as long as they helped us. They are staying with Thunderclan now," Smokestar meowed.

At this Rainstar's head shot up. "You're the ones keeping my warriors as prisoners?"

"Not as prisoners, they came to Thunderclan on their own and asked us if they could stay," Smokestar corrected.

Rainstar looked astonished and glanced at where the Thunderclan cats were sitting quickly before turning his attention back towards Russetstar and Smokestar. Spottedfur wasn't here and neither were any of the other Riverclan refugees.

"So, does this mean Shadowclan and Thunderclan are allies now? Is that what we have been smelling on our territory?" Lightningstar growled.

"Shadowclan and Thunderclan are indeed allies... but we haven't been on Windclan territory!" Russetstar spat.

"Then what are the strange scents that my warriors have been smelling near the Thunderpath?" Lightningstar hissed.

"Starclan knows! But Shadowclan hasn't been anywhere near Windclan territory! And we've been smelling strange scents on our territory as well!" Russetstar meowed.

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe Horsestorm is back? Roaming the forest, waiting to pick us off?" Smokestar meowed. "We must stop this arguing with each other and go back to the way things were before Horsestorm!"

"That's not going to happen. We'll deal with Horsestorm if he comes on our territory and you can deal with him if he comes on yours! He isn't Windclan's problem, or Riverclan's for that matter," Lightningstar meowed calmly.

"He is Windclan's ex deputy! He won't hesitate to kill all of us!" Smokestar yowled.

"But members from each clan have joined him! Are you forgetting your own son Smokestar? Half of your kin is in that group of cats, threatening the safety of the clans!" Rainstar hissed.

_Half of his kin? It's only Nightheart!_ Dawnflower thought. She looked around the clearing. By the looks on some of the cats faces, she wasn't the only one confused.

Smokestar's eyes got wide and his body got tense. He looked like he was about to spring on Rainstar but a dark shadow fell over the clearing. Dawnflower looked up and saw dark clouds covering the moon. Starclan was angry.

"Enough!" Russetstar growled stepping between the Thunderclan and Riverclan leader. "This Gathering is over."

Russetstar took Smokestar over to the side and started murmuring words to him. Birdsong ran up to her mate and stroked her tail down his back comfortingly. What was going on?

"What was that all about? I thought Nightheart was your only kin out of those four traitors... that's not half," Puddlecloud meowed.

"Me too...," Dawnflower whispered. She said good bye to Puddlecloud and headed back to camp with the rest of Thunderclan.

A million thoughts ran through her head. This was the second time someone had said something weird about the Horsestorm situation. First Sunfire with the "kin against kin" statement and now this? Dawnflower had a feeling that secrets were being kept from not just her, but most of the other cats in the forest.

When Dawnflower got back to camp, Birdsong was herding Smokestar into his den. She ran after them but before she went in, she heard Smokestar speaking.

"Why would he say that! We made an agreement that nobody was to know... how can he do that, and in front of the whole forest!"

Dawnflower burst into the den. Birdsong was laying beside the leader, licking his ear affectionately.

"Oh- Dawnflower! What is it? This isn't really a good time...," her mother meowed.

"I don't care. What's going on? Why did Rainstar say that half of your kin is part of Horsestorm's group when really only a quarter is?" Dawnflower demanded.

Smokestar shook his head then sighed. "Very well, you would have found out eventually. Get your sister and I will tell you."

When Dawnflower had filled Eaglefeather in on everything that happened, they sat in front of their father and waited for an explanation.

"Many moons ago, before your grandmother, Dawnstar, was leader, she had kits. There was me, and then there was another kit. I would grow up to follow in my mother's footsteps while the other kit would grow up to follow in his father's," Smokestar began. Dawnflower looked over at her sister. They did not know their father had a brother. "At the time, we did not know who our father was- nobody did. We were told that it was a tom named Stripetail up until we were about to be made warriors. It turns out that our real father was the Windclan deputy at the time, Birchleaf. We had the blood of Windclan and Thunderclan in us. My brother and I were furious. Only a few cats knew at the time. Most of which hunt with Starclan now. I told Russetstar- who was Russetclaw back then- at the next Gathering. She was my closest friend even though we were from different clans. Later, Breezestar and Rainstar would find out but they didn't know until a little later. Russetstar had told me that I should forgive my mother because there was no point in staying mad at her so I did."

Smokestar took a deep breath and then continued. "By this time, my mother was already leader. I might have forgave her but my brother did not. He left Thunderclan to join Windclan with his father. My mother was so upset but she got through it. A long time passed. My mother retired as leader and then Lightningstar became leader. Yes, Thunderclan had a Lightningstar too. He made me deputy but then died an early death. Dawnstar died right after I became leader and my brother didn't seem to care. He was enjoying his life in Windclan. He became deputy right before you two and Nightheart were born. I knew it wouldn't turn out well, and I was right."

"Who is it? Who's your brother?" Dawnflower asked, even though she knew the answer.

"Horsestorm. Horsestorm is my brother and your kin," Smokestar whispered. Eaglefeather looked at her father, astonished. Dawnflower just shook her head. It all made sense. When Sunfire said that he "turned kin against kin" he meant that Horsestorm, Smokestar's brother, had turned Nightheart, Smokestar's son, against him. Dawnflower had a feeling that Nightheart did not know this.

"I can't believe you didn't tell us sooner," Dawnflower spat, springing to her paws.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want one of you to leave like Horsestorm did. I was scared," Smokestar admitted, hanging his head.

"Well it happened anyway didn't it! Nightheart is gone now and so is Horsestorm! We both lost a brother, are you happy now!" Dawnflower hissed. She ran out of the den, mad and upset.

She headed towards the entrance to the camp. She didn't know where she would go but she didn't want to be here. A cat called her name but she ignored it. Dawnflower did not stop running and she found that her paws were bringing her back towards Fourtrees. When she entered the clearing, stale scents of all four clans flooded her nose.

Dawnflower paced back and forth, running the past events through her head. There was too much going on and she couldn't think about it all now. She decided that she wasn't going to go back to camp and instead, climbed up onto one of the thick branches of one of the oak trees and curled up there. She fell asleep before her head even hit her paws.

Dawnflower dreamed she was at Fourtrees again. The air was calm and so was she. A familiar scent washed over her, one that she had not smelled in a long time and greatly missed.

"Treeflower? Treeflower are you there?" Dawnflower called out desperately for her old mentor.

"I am here Dawnflower," a voice said from behind her. She whipped around to see the familiar she-cat padding towards her. This was the first time Dawnflower saw her mentor in a dream.

"Treeflower! I missed you so much! I'm so sorry I couldn't help you," Dawnflower meowed, hanging her head in shame.

"Shh, it is not your fault young one. There was nothing you could do. I hunt with Starclan now," Treeflower assured her old apprentice.

"Why did you come to me? Do you have a message?" Dawnflower asked.

"I've come to tell you how proud I am of you. You have done well in your short time as a warrior," Treeflower purred. "I have also come to tell you to forgive your father. You do not want to end up like Horsestorm, do you? He did not forgive his mother and now look what happened. Your father was trying to protect you, he did not mean you or your siblings any harm."

"I know that Treeflower, but I'm just so mad! That means I have Windclan blood in me too! Isn't that something a cat should know about them self?" Dawnflower questioned.

"Yes, it is. But that cat must be mature enough to except the fact that they have kin in two different clans. Some cats handle news differently than others; your father wasn't sure how you would take it," Treeflower replied. "Now, as soon as you wake up, you must return back to camp and apologize to your father. It is no use being mad at him, especially now when he needs you the most."

Dawnflower nodded. "Ok, Treeflower, I'll do it. Thank you."

Treeflower smiled at the light gray tabby then turned and padded away.


End file.
